Tea-growing reshapes village on China-Myanmar border

Age-old tradition: Villagers processing tea leaves in Old Man’e Village, Menghai County, Yunnan province. — Xinhua

Though spring, the peak time of year for tea harvesting, has passed, farmer Yan Yanjiao finds himself still busy, powering his SUV along narrow dirt roads leading to tea gardens on mountain slopes.

The 31-year-old heads the village of Old Man’e in the Blang Mountain ethnic township, located in Menghai County, Yunnan province along the China-Myanmar border. Inhabited by over 1,000 people, the village boasts large areas of Pu’er tea forests at an elevation of 1,500m above sea level.